Kania
The Republic of Kania, or simply Kania, is an island nation located in the , to the northeast of Newfoundland. With a land area of 89,461 km (55,588 sq mi) and population of 7.7 million, it is one of the smallest nations in the world by size. However, as an international banking, it is also one of the richest nations on earth. It is a federal republic, who's president is currently Alexander Kane. Kania is a founding member of the and an observor of the . The nation of Kania was established in 1750 by freed slaves and radicals that deemed further residence in was too dangerous for them. Thus, with the help of the , they relocated to the island of Kania, named after the leader of the mass movement, Roger Kane. Under him the island grew into a wealthy trading center which competed with the British dominions of and Newfoundland as fishing powers. By the dawn of the 20th century, Kania's economy had developed into a strong one, supporting the development of new towns and cities throughout the nation. The country is noted for its strong Christian morals, crime-free streets, and high-income middle class. Kania is often described as a utopia, which many critics have remarked Kania was seeking to aim from, though its supporters have been known to silence such opposition as petty jealousy. Environmentally sound, politically stable, and economically endowed, Kania possesses many traits that few nations are able and willing to strive for, and thus is has earned the honor of being dubbed "Mankind's Soul". However, the staunch dislike of Europe and America by the pre-dominately black population due to past greviances have been one of the few slights against Kania. History Early History , Kania's founder and namesake]] The Republic of Kania was the creation Bishop Roger Kane, a former slave born in Virginia, British Amerca, that had been freed by his parents, who purchased their freedom when Kane was eight years of age. He had long desired to see the day when black men and women were allowed to make their own choices in life free of the crime of slavery, however, he knew that so long as there was a strong, unified white government in power, they would never allow such a thing to happen. He worked as a missionary after turning 18, and travelled abroad to spread his word. During one such venture in 1749, he came across a recently discovered island, which had no name it wasn't well known to travellers. He explored the island, during which time the idea to colonize the land with black men and women entered his mind. Kane made a special trip to London the same year to speak with the King of Great Britain, George II, to propose his idea to the British government. Kane wished to colonize the recently discovered island with freed slaves, and any of those freed by Britian, thus permitting the Canadian colonies from being "overrun" with black Africans. The British permitted the colonization to go ahead with their strict guidance and oversight, and also allowed the plan to go ahead so as to weaken the slave states in the southern American colonies and to potentially gain from any resources that may be on the island. In 1750, the Crown Colony of Kania, named so after Roger Kane himself, was founded, with the town of Port Kane built to serve as the trading center of the entire island. Given the title of governor, Kane for a time served the British well, sending cheap lumber to Britain, which badly neede wood for the expansion of the Royal Navy, which at the time was at war with France and several other European powers. The colony's small merchant fleet transported freed slaves and goods to Kania for years, expanding the tiny population of 1,525 in 1750, to 23,843 by 1755. Such success aided the colony in growing at a pace that allowed it to serve its original purpose as a safe haven for black Africans of all backgrounds, by they freedmen or runaways. The success of the colony did not go unnoticed, as the American colonists soon began to view their black neighbors to the north as a enemy to their economy and regional power. Several attempts to strangle the colony's growing population by preventing African-Americans from moving north toward Kania, or checking Kanian cargo vessels taking many runaway slaves to their potential freedom in Kania. The British government stepped in to stop these activities, repremanding the colonists for their actions against fellow British subjects. While this only served to heighten hostilities between the Americans and the British, it served also to aid Kania in growing into a self-suffient subject of Britian. Independence While the lumber exports of Kania were generous and much needed, the lack of other viable trade resources began to make Kania's attractiveness to Britain fade. While other colonies such as India and America had wide and numerous resources to trade, Kania held a single-source export which was growing unstainable. Britain began moving its troops out of Kania by 1755, as its government decided to spend its military expenditures on more wealthier colonies than the backwater Kania. As economy and the coffers of the colony began to dry up, so to did Governor Kane and Kania's faith in Britain. In 1756, the 75,000 Kanians signed a petition to be sent to London requesting home rule, citing the need to protect itself from the French and the Spanish as reasons for the request, as well as the lack of British protection. Rather than waste time with the formalities, and understanding that Kania was costing more to keep than to exploit, Britain granted the request. Roger Kane's title was thus moved up from governor to Governor-General of Kania. However, this was to be a short-lived event. Britain wanted to hold on to Kania, but refused to pay for it, as they were still required to collect whatever taxes they needed from Kania, which by 1756, was a poor excuse for a British colony. No more than a month passed with Kane as governor-general, he was informed by the British they were cutting Kania loose, and he was now in charge with its fate. Keeping a worthless colony around was considered wasteful by the British parliment, and thus Kania was left to its own device. In December 16, 1756, Kane annouced to his citizens Kania was a free nation, and that a federal republic was to be instituted immediately. Thus, the Republic of Kania was established. Though, Kania was no longer a British subject, its people would not forget the kindness the British showed that permitted the formation of Kania in the first place. In the years following its independence, Kania supported the British wherever they were in the Western Hemisphere. During the American War of Independence, President Lawrence Ashmead sent 5,000 Kanian soldiers to North America to support the British war effort, and to free any black slaves that the British had promised freedom to. Some 17,500 freed slaves were emancipated by Kania, of which of 11,300 moved to Kania. While this damaged Kanian-American relations in the long run, the Kanians' willingness to die for the British Empire saw thetwo form a close bond that would only be broken in 1870, the result of Kania's fear of losing its sovereignty. However, Kania would prosper thanks to this special relationship, and its survival secured by the British during its darkest hours. French Expansionism was responsible for developing the Kanian military in response to French aggression]] The Republic of Kania grew quickly shortly after their release from British rule, using the growing fishing market to stablize the shrinking economy and increasing unemployment rates. The nation became a fishing and whaling center, providing the Kanian citizens with jobs and money, and for the time, saving the country from economic ruin. However, the country's fishing rights, the base of its economy along with whaling and woodcutting, was under attack by the French, who were greatly interested in Kania as a place to defend New France from British naval attacks, as it was located close enough to the major shipping routes into Canada to allow the French navy to intercept any British attack fleets. Kania's soverignity thus came under attack when in 1757, at the height of the French and Indian War, the French attempted to force upon it taxes for "residing too close to French possessions", or in other words, levying a yearly tribute so as to "guarantee" its existance as an independent nation. President Kane knew that the French were doing so to refill their depleting coffurs to support their war effort against Britian, and that it was in an attempt to increase their influence in Kanian politics for as a prelude to a future annexation. Thus, rather than give the French what they wanted and allow them to interfere in Kanian affairs, Kane instead offered the British, who were winning the war on the mainland, a generous gift to signify the bond of friendship between the two nations. Britain accepted the gift with open arms, and back Kania's status as a sovereign nation with the protection of the British Empire. Kania aware France was watching the diplomatic overtures. This was done so as to ensure France knew Kania had the backing of their increasingly victorious opponent, to which another war with over Kania would be pointless. The French threats subsided for the time being, but would return later on. In 1768, France had long been defeated in the conflict with Britian some five years prior, and was looking for another place to colonize. They had not forgotten about Kania, nor their desire to wrestle control of Quebec from Great Britain. The French threatened Kanian merchant ships, boarding and impressing the crew to serve in their French navy. This blatant disregard for the Kanians' legal rights outraged Kania, but they were away that they could not challenge the French in a face-to-face battle. Thus, rather than have Britain fight their battles for them as had been the custom, under the leadership of President Gregory Fawkes, Kania decided to arm itself, using its vast timber resources and equally vast pool of skilled shipbuilders to build one of the largest navies in North America by 1770. With an imposing navy to defend its seas, Kania was able to dissaude the despised French from coming anywhere near Kania and its hostile navy. Falling out with Britain , which facilitated the death of Kanian-British relations by 1870]] Kania and Britain had stood together for many decades after the former's release from British rule. Troops were sent to defend Canada from the United States during the War of 1812, and were present at the British razing of Washington, D.C. The Kanians were determined to remain close friends with the nation that had routinely defended their soverignty and had long been their greatest trading partner. However, by the 1850s it was clear that neither nation was very fond of the other. During the celebration of Kania's 100th year of independence in 1856, a British delegation had been dispatched to Kania by Queen Victoria to support the occasion. This had been known to Kania's government and expected. However, some of the radical members of the Kanian senate believed that the British were still domineering Kanian politics, a major debate over the real level of control Britain had over Kania had been raging on for several years, and thus to end the dispute, President Daniel Durrant refused to let the British diplomatic vessel to dock at Port Kane, and turned them away. This was considered an insult by the British government, which had sought to support their long-time ally. However, the Kanian government attempted to send apoligises over the matter, by stating that it was a matter of internal politics and not meant as a slight against the British Empire. The matter was seemingly resolved by 1858, though when Kania's black majority population demanded the total disenfranchisement of white Kanians because of their support of slavery in the United States, to which the government agreed to do, the British sent a fleet to blockade Kanian ports until they returned voting rights back to the white Kanians. This fleet was intercepted by the Kanian navy during the Battle of Port Kane, in which most of the sixty-five British vessels were destroyed by the one hundred twenty-seven ships of Kania. Kanian-British relations had soured immediately after the battle, and the British citizens in Kania expelled from the control and their properties confiscated. In 1870, relations between both nations were cut permanently when Kanian discovered a plot between white Kanians and the British government to overthrow the black majority government of the country, and enforce a new set of laws considered more "appropriate" for the tiny nation. Outrage consumed the populace, and British goods were destroyed throughout Kania, the few British citizens remaining in Kania beaten and hung, and the British embassy in Port Kane raided and burned to the ground. The special relationship the two nations once had was dead and gone, and would not be repaired until the 1940s when Kania supported the British against the forces of Nazi Germany during the Battle of Britain. Until then, Kania's distaste for imperialistic Europeans and racist Americans would result in the nation focusing on building ties elsewhere on the globe. World War I & the Interwar Period World War II Cold War era Post-Cold War Modern Era & Recent History Politics Main article: Politics of Kania Government Main articles: Government of Kania & Constitution of Kania , the official workplace and residence of the President of Kania and the Federal Senate]] Kania is a unitary federal republic, operating on a 256-year old constitution which has provided the framework from which the Kanian government draws upon. Kania is led by a President, the position currently held by Alexander Kane, who is the head of state and head of government, and leads the executive branch of the Kanian government. The president is selected in a direct nation-wide election universal adult suffrage to a six-year term, which is renewable so long as the candidate qualifies for it. Currently, white Kanians are prohibited from voting in presidential elections in some of the states of Kania. The Vice President is selected by the President of Kania as a running mate during the election, but serves in no major capacity after the elections. The position is currently held by Tamara Whiter. The legislative branch of the government is the Federal Senate, which is a 40-member unicameral body which represents all twelves states of Kania including the federal capital district. Each state is represented by four senators, while the capital district is represented by two senators. The main responsbility of the Federal Senate is to draw up laws requested by the people of Kania and serve as an advisory body to the President. The senate has little power beyond a law-making capacity, and do not have the ability to declare war, approve of treaties, or have power of the purse, such powers granted and revoked by the president at his leisure. However, the senate has the power to impeach the president, and adopt federal laws. There are only two official politicial parties in Kania; the Federal Party of Kania and the Liberal Party of Kania. Both have existed since the nation's earliest days, and there have been no other parties in the nation's history. All Kanian politicians with the exception of the few independents, are a member of one of the two parties. Currently, the Federalist control the government, having been in control since 1902. The government of Kania is deticated to the usage of the Christian bible as a guide of their behavior and actions. Kania's government suffers from the lowest level of political corruption in the world, and has the fewest political scandals in a nation's history. Atheist or non-Christian politicians are not welcomed within Kanian governmental affairs. Administrative Divisions Main article: States of Kania Kania is divided into twelve states and one special capital district. The administrative divisions were named and created following Kania's independence in 1756 by Roger Kane, who named the twelve states after the Twelve Tribes of Israel, given his religious background. They were all named and numbered according to the seniority of the tribal patriarchs, and the thirteen, Levi, turned into a capital district given that the Levites never held any land as they were to serve as priests for Israel. Law and Justice Main articles: Law Enforcement in Kania & Judiciary of Kania The Constitution of Kania and the Christian Bible are the two highest sources of legal code in Kania. The Kanian constitution legally permits and enforces the usage of the Bible as a source of legal text, and the Bible provides a guide from which to draw from when drawing up new laws for the Kanian judiciary system. Kania only recognizes religious law in context with civil law, and also recognizes religious beliefs of biblical morality as a motivation for the enactment of certain prohibitions. Thus, Kania is one of the very few developed countries to have laws outlawing sodomy, adultry, fornication, and blasphemy. Homosexuality and prostitution are strictly prohibited in Kania, and the punishment for both extremely severe. Unlike in other countries where "freedom of speech" is used, Kania only believes in "freeness of speech", that is, the ability to use one's free will in context with the personal freedoms given by God, to do as he wishes, not as one wishes. Thus, while Kanians are free to express themselves, they only do so in regards to what the Bible teaches; swearing, for instance, is considered an abuse of one's freeness of speech in Kanian law. Seperation of church and state are extremely limited in Kania, with religion playing a major role in Kanian law and politics. Kania garantees a limited level of freedom toward religion. One may practice their religious beliefs, but not in public or in a Kanian place of worship. Spiritistic practices are outlawed, and fortune telling is considered a capital crime. Given religious beliefs in Kania and past wrongs, anti-semitism and racism are rife in Kania. White Kanians and Jews lack many protections under Kanian law, and are often discriminated against by the larger Black Kanian population. Hate speech is thinly outlawed, and the government has no official position on the matter. Sexism is limited, per bibical statements, women are protected under Kanian law, but are prohibited in certain fields, such as in religious areas where women are not allowed to take a leading role unless no men are avaliable for the positions. Kania is tolerent of the LGBT community, but civil unions and same-sex marriage or both outlawed and considered capital crimes. However, many gay politicians exist in Kania, and they support Kania's position on the matter of gay rights. Foreign Relations Main article: Foreign Relations of Kania Kania is a founding member of the , and a member of the (NATO). It is a member of the , as well as an observing member of the . Kania is an observing member of the , rejecting an offer to join as a founding member due largely in part to Kania wishing to maintain tight control over its trade policies. Kania maintains diplomatic relations with 117 nations, and has 152 embassies worldwide, with the exception of Israel, which Kania does not officially recognize. Kania does however recognize Palestine as a legitimate state. Foreign policy is determined by the President of Kania and the Kanian Secretary of State. Kania's official views of foreign affairs despite its membership of numerous alliances, has been that or resolute neutrality, refusing to sign major international treaties or partake in major conflicts, the last one in which Kania participated in was that of the in 1950. Since then, Kania has remained aloof of international affairs, seeking to serve as a watcher and nothing more, only stepping into matters that directly or indirectly concern Kanian interests and security. While a member of NATO, President Horatio Ives refused to deploy Kanian troops to locations suggested by the Americans and the British to prevent foreign dominance of Kanian military affairs. The government maintain's a strictly "Kania-first" policy in foreign politics, putting Kanian interests before that of others. The government did not sign the in 1 July 1968, and is thus free of its restrictive regulations regarding the use of nuclear technologies. Numerous other treaties signed by the global community have not been signed by Kania, and ever since, many nations have been pushing Kanian to "fulfill its international responsiblities", to which the Kanians and their government have stated they have none. Despite the nation's aggressive tone toward attempts to control its internal affairs, Kania is trusted with bartering deals and treaties between parties, given the nation's neutral stance on certain matters. Military Main article: Kanian Defense Forces Kania's long history of foreign threats and racial strife within its borders has resulted in Kania, despite its peaceful beliefs and culture, to maintain a large military relative to its size. The Kania's long stance of neutrality and attempts to stand on its own while at the doorstep of its two larger neighbors the United States and Canada, have prompted the small nation to spend 3.83% of GDP and 6.28% of the government's total budget toward military expenditure. However, so as to maximize the longevity and lethality of the individual soldier, Kania maintains a small, but high professional military made of an all-volunteer force, totalling 72,142 active troops, and another 144,284 in reserve. Though small, the Kanian Defense Forces are highly advanced, highly motivated and well-trained, and equipped with only the best Kania has to offer. The Kanian military consists of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Marine Corps, along with a reserve force. Men are not obliged to join the military, conscription replaced by selective service. Women are not obliged to join either, but are held to the same requirements of selective service. The Kanian Defense Forces are one of the few militaries left that still allow for men and women younger than 16 and 18 to join the military, with the concent of their parents or guardians. Training typically lasts for 24 months, with military service consisting of 18 months of active duty, and three years in reserve, afterwhich the government may call upon the soldier to return to military service if the soldier chooses to do so. Kania's military has a long history of defiance against foreign aggression, such as against Great Britian in 1870 at the Battle of Port Kane. The Kanians maintain a highly advanced military force that is considered on par with the technologies employed by the Americans and the Europeans. All military equipment is produced locally enforcing Kanian military independence, and nothing exported to prevent potential rivals from analizing the technology. Kania operates a network of reconnaissance satellites and is one of only eight nations with the capabilities of maintaining such a network. Kania also possesses numerous nuclear weapons. Kania refused to sign the , and thus wields a nuclear aresnal to protect its soverignty. Despite its military development and nuclear weapons arsenal, Kania has been involved in peace-keeping operations in Haiti, Jamaica, and Somalia. Though it does not provide developmental aid, Kania strives to build the nations from the bottom up, stating that money does little to resolve matters that are more than skin deep. Kania was ranked the most peaceful nation in the world, surpassing Iceland, Denmark, Norway, and Luxembourg with flying colors, with its few military operations serving as one of the few things that got it to first place. Economy Main article: Economy of Kania Transport The rail system of Kania is highly developed, with 2,314 km of rail. The rail system is operated by the Kanian Transportation Authority, or the KTA, and includes the nation's network of maglav rails and inner-city transportation. The high-speed trains travel at 318 mph in commerical usage throughout Kania, and serve as a common convenience thanks to the government's heavy subsidising of the facality. The KTA extends across all of Kania, and provides for all public transportation in Kania. Plans to build a rail line to Canada in 2007 were scrapped due to pulbic Kanian distrust of the larger nation. Overtures have since been made by Canada and members of the Kanian government to go through with the plan anyway. The government plans to extended the high-speed rail networks to 3,000 km by 2020. There are more than 103,475 km of servicable roads located throughout the country's cities and rural areas. The densest portions of the road network are around the largest cities in the nation, in particular Port Kane and New Gaza. The automotive market has been highly active in providing cheap, enviormentally-friendly vehicles for the general population, and has suceeded in that endeavour. Kanian streets and vehicles have been consistently ranked as the safest in the world, with drivers who are ranked as the least likely to subcumb to road rage, and the least likely to be caught driving drunk. Of the 6.8 million vehicles found in Kania, 75% of them use clean fuel engines, and possess numerous features to promote driver and passenger protection. Kania is home to a total of 52 airports, of which the Roger Kane International Airport is the largest and busiest in the nation. The nation's flagship carrier airline is Kania Airlines, which provides the majority of the air transport to Kanians inside the country to other parts of the globe. The corporation is partially owned by the government, which holds a 25% share of the company's stock, and provides it with the planes and crew needed to operate its fleet of 133 aircraft. The water transportation system of Kania is considered rather basic, with only a few major ferry companies existing in the nation. However, some major cruise companies have arisen in wealthier parts of Kania, Asher Cruise Lines being the most prominent. Energy Science and Technology Demographics Main article: Demographics of Kania Langauge Religion Education Health Largest Cities Culture Main article: Culture of Kania Art & Media Sports Category:Republic of Kania